LOS ANGELES – At some point during Monday’s Rose Bowl game, chances are wide receiver Nick Toon will make a sharp cut in time to snare a tight pass from Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson.

And chances are, one of Oregon’s three freshmen cornerbacks in coverage won’t be able to do anything about it.

It’s the life of a college defensive back. One that the Ducks’ trio of young cornerbacks, redshirt freshmen Terrance Mitchell and Troy Hill, and true freshman and Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, have come to grips with, and have learned to get over as quickly as they happen during a season filled with crash courses in Pass Coverage 400.

“I go in with the mindset that I don’t want anybody to complete passes on me but it’s going to happen,” Hill said Friday during the Ducks’ media day session in downtown Los Angeles. “It’s college football. Everybody is good.”

Mitchell, Hill and Ekpre-Olomu – all of whom should see extensive playing time during the 98th Rose Bowl in Pasadena – entered the season figuring they had time on their side with two seasoned veterans in their way on the depth chart. That was until returning junior All-American cornerback Cliff Harris couldn’t stay out of trouble and senior Anthony Gildon struggled to stay off the injury list.

Consequently, each freshman cornerback has appeared in Oregon’s 13 games. Mitchell has started 11, Hill six and Ekpre-Olomu one. They’ve combined for 69 tackles, three interceptions and 24 pass breakups, more production than expected from them in August.

Mitchell, out of Sacramento, Calif., entered camp as the odds-on favorite to start opposite Gildon and in place of Harris in the opener against LSU. He did and he was scored on during a 40-27 defeat. Many wondered if the game might have been different had Harris not been suspended for driving 118 mph along Interstate 5 in June.

But when Harris returned, he was unable to wrestle away the starting job from Mitchell. As the season wore on, Hill began seeing more action. When Harris was suspended following another traffic incident in late October, Hill saw even more action, as did Ekpre-Olomu.

By the final third of the season, Mitchell and Hill, out of Ventura, Calif., had settled into their roles and their confidence levels had begun to soar.

“I feel like I’ve come a long way from when we first started,” Hill said.

Hill said he transformed himself from a raw talent to a student of the game, eventually relying as much on preparation as ability.

Still, receptions were allowed. In fact, Oregon will enter the Rose Bowl ranked 83rd in the nation in pass defense, allowing 243.5 yards per game.

But such numbers are misleading, given Oregon is often ahead and the Ducks employ a hurry-up, no-huddle offense, leaving the defense on the field for 34 minutes and 57 seconds per game. Plus, the Ducks have faced at least four eventual NFL quarterbacks in Stanford’s Andrew Luck, USC’s Matt Barkley, Arizona State’s Brock Osweiler and Arizona’s Nick Foles.

Barkley in particular got the best of the Ducks, passing for 323 yards and four scores.

“In the S.C. game I felt like I should have been a little bit better,” Hill said. “I got beat twice. But you learn from that and bounce back.”

Coach Chip Kelly and defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti all season have sung the praises of the development of the three young cornerbacks. Having confidence from their teammates helps, as well.

Senior safety Eddie Pleasant said he never worried about the three freshmen because he saw their obvious talent.

“They’re doing pretty good,” he said. “It’s hard to go out there, especially being a cornerback, as a freshman to go out there and cover receivers that have been playing college football for a couple of years.”

Unlike Mitchell and Hill, Ekpre-Olomu, out of Chino Hills, Calif., didn’t have the benefit of practicing with the team last season and into the spring.

Help from Gildon and Harris helped him develop into the player he is today.

“Cliff would teach us a lot,” Ekpre-Olomu said. “So once he was suspended, it was a blow for us.”

Lessons about responsibility also were learned, especially after Harris in October was suspended for another set of traffic violations and later dismissed from the team during Thanksgiving break for violating yet another team rule.

“At Oregon it doesn’t matter what you do just on the field, it matters what you do on and off the field,” Ekpre-Olomu said. “That’s the most important thing.”

Monday comes the ultimate test of all the trio has learned.

Wisconsin's Toon showed respect for their ability but appeared confident the Badgers could have success against them.

“They’re talented players,” he said. “They are fast. Typical Oregon players. But they are young. There’s definitely some things that we can take advantage of ... I’m looking forward to matching up with them.”

Success for Wisconsin in the passing game might come. But the Oregon trio doesn’t plan to get rattled.

“This is what you live for,” Hill said. “This is why I came here. I knew we were going to be in these big games. As a competitor, that’s what you want to do. You want to play against the best, you want to be considered the best. These are the types of games that make you the best.”

Each said they won’t allow the size of the event to affect them.

“I learned from the LSU game,” Mitchell said, “not to let the magnitude of the game get to you.”

One of many lessons learned in a season filled with crash course learning.